Mike Claggett, who lives behind the property that caught fire on Friday afternoon, waters the edge of his neighbors lawn on Friday afternoon in Rochester. An afternoon blaze that consumed acres of grass around a neighborhood along the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane SW threatened a number of structures on Friday. Claggett described fighting 20-foot flames with a just his garden hose.
Firefighters from West Thurston, Riverside Fire Authority and Washington Department of Natural Resources along with neighbors work to put out hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters from West Thurston, Riverside Fire Authority and Washington Department of Natural Resources along with neighbors work to put out hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
West Thurston firefighters water down hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
West Thurston firefighters water down hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters from West Thurston, Riverside Fire Authority and Washington Department of Natural Resources along with neighbors work to put out hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
West Thurston firefighters water down hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
A West Thurston firefighter waters down hot spots in a grass fire on the 17000 block of Bonnie Lane in Rochester on Friday afternoon.
Mike Claggett, who lives behind the property that caught fire on Friday afternoon, speaks to firefighters while water the edge of his neighbors lawn on Friday afternoon in Rochester.
A couple embraces outside the residence at 17923 Bonnie Lane SW in Rochester after firefighters put out a large grass fire that threatened several homes on Friday afternoon.
A brush fire burned between 1 and 2 acres of dry grass in a residential neighborhood off Bonnie Lane in Rochester Friday afternoon, posing danger to five homes in the area.
The fire started at about noon, according to the West Thurston Fire Authority. Firefighters had the blaze under control about a half-hour later.
The brush fire started in one home’s backyard, damaging a swingset and trampoline. The fire scorched the home’s foundation in several places, but the home was not seriously damaged.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, according to the Fire Authority. No homes or outbuildings were seriously damaged. A fence and some garden equipment was scorched.
“When I got here, it was all around that house,” said Captain Brian Christenson of West Thurston. Christenson was off duty, but lives close to the fire and helped some residents use garden hoses to protect their properties.
Christenson and other West Thurston personnel said the fire was propelled by wind, and could have damaged the five homes in the immediate area if it had spread any farther.
Agencies responding to the fire included the West Thurston Fire Authority, the Riverside Fire Authority, the Department of Natural Resources, and Oakville and Tenino fire departments.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available. Look for a full story in the Saturday edition and at www.chronline.com.
